Ms Patricia Crosbie:

We all have some wonderful ideas. Everybody who has spoken here has said much the same thing, whether about contemporary dance, Irish dance, ballet, hip hop or circus. It is all dance and, as I say, it is a five letter word but it encompasses a lot. I have come full circle, having started out in ballet. Through that, I have worked with the wonderful Dr. Foley on Irish dance. I teach ballet and contemporary dance to undergraduate and postgraduate dancers in the University of Limerick. It goes right across the board. We have started a youth ballet company in Cork which operates out of the Firkin Crane, which we started three years ago. I have worked in outreach programmes, including in Knocknaheeny in north Cork, bringing in dancers with talent who would be afraid to come into a building such as the Firkin Crane. It has become more a part of the community. Much is going on that is similar to that. In answer to the question about the programmes for older people, working with the HSE, I have taught beginners' ballet to adults and we all see and feel the benefits. I do not know what the answer is. Part of the reason we are all here is to get help and answers from the committee. I remember that we were still looking for funding in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. As Senator O'Donnell said, €3.5 million is not a huge amount.